1. Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 31 Hebrews 12:4 – 17 The Problem of Pain

2. I. Introduction A.My school teaching days (long ago) B.To understand our text we must: 1. Set aside our cultural blinders 2. Grasp how much God hates sin 3. Recognize how much He desires our righteousness C.An overview of Hebrews 12:1-17 1. Fixing our eyes on Jesus: His suffering and our striving (12:1-3) 2. Our suffering viewed from a different/divine perspective (12:4-11) 3. A call to action: looking for ways to strengthen others (12:12-17)

3. II. Seeing our suffering in a different light (Hebrews 12:4-11) A.Consider our suffering in the light of the suffering Jesus endured (12:2-5). 1. He endured the wrath of God (vs. 3). 2. He endured the scorn of sinners (vs. 3). 3. He endured the punishment we deserve. 4. Our suffering will never be like His (vs. 4). B.Consider (and endure) Christian suffering as divine discipline (12:5-11). 1. A forgotten Old Testament text – the blessing of divine discipline (vss. 5-6) 2. Enduring suffering as discipline (vss. 7-11)

4. III. A call to action (Hebrews 12:12-17) A.Strengthen those who are weak (12:12-13; see Isaiah 35, especially verse 3) B.Pursue harmony (peace) and holiness (12:14). C.Be alert for problems and nip them in the bud (12:15). D.Be alert for unbelievers among you, and seek to turn them to faith. 1. Who trade heaven for a happy meal 2. Who trade blessings for a big mac E.A closer look at Esau (12:16-17)

5. IV. Conclusion A.Review: 1. Discipline is necessary to win the race (12:1-3). 2. Discipline is proof of our sonship, and of God’s love and care (12:4-11). 3. Discipline is the ongoing work of the church (12:12- 17; see 1 Thessalonians 5:14). B.Seeing our suffering for what it really is, and is not. C.The fatal flaw of the prosperity preachers. D.A lesson in child training – Do we train our children as though the prosperity preachers were right?

6. E.Does our discipline (child or church) take sin as seriously as God does? Time out? F.Discipline is our responsibility to others in the church. G.Is there an Esau among us? An Easter exhortation. Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 31 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for April 12, 2009. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.